


Roses, Baby's Breath and Marigold

by SuperFluffyWolf



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Based on a comic page, Flowers, Hinted r76, If You Squint - Freeform, Language of Flowers, No Smut, No Spoilers, No cursing really, Nothing Sexual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 05:25:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11456892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperFluffyWolf/pseuds/SuperFluffyWolf
Summary: Losing one man on the run can mean finding everything you needed and so much more.





	Roses, Baby's Breath and Marigold

He was sure he’d tracked the soldier nearby, but he couldn’t see him and all traces seemed to disappear once he rounded the corner. He growled behind his ivory mask.

“Morrison…” A black puff came from the bone that hid his face. “Always jerking me around.”

He could remember the day they’d met; He was Jack’s commanding officer and he was but a young pup, seventeen or eighteen, just like Jesse.

_The boy was scrawny, standing straight as a board, head raised high. Whether he tried to appear official or he was full of pride in himself, Gabriel didn’t know._

_Dark eyes scanned over the blonde; He had freckles over his cheekbones and across the bridge of his nose. His cheeks were a little sunken in with acne covering the skin there. Hormones and a high metabolism, Gabriel assumed._

_“Morrison!” He called out, knowing the twig of a teen was the one with the name._

_“Sir!” The instant his hand moved to salute Gabriel chuckled. He was taking notes on everything about his new recruit. Another undercover agent. Didn’t look the type at all and maybe that was what they needed for this to work properly._

_“At ease, soldier. I know what you’ve heard about me and I can say the training is accurate, but I’m lenient as long as you don’t fuck up training or sleeping and eating schedules. After we finish this discussion you’re to move your ass to the infirmary and have Dr. Ziegler check your metabolic rate, take all your measurements, and set up a specific diet for you. You need more meat on your bones if you want to survive on the field son.” Gabe expected questions and, to some level, sass._

_“Yessir!” Another salute had him cocking a brow at the other._

_“You just take to order, don’t you son?”_

_“With all due respect sir, I was raised on a farm in a small but open community. If I didn’t follow orders, things would be left undone. My father always told me that if a job is worth doing, it was worth doing right the first time. Makes for quicker jobs, sir.”_

_Gabe shook his head, putting the clipboard down to his hips. “Your father is a smart man. I think you and I will get along just fine, Morrison. Now hop to it. Infirmary. Now.”_

_Morrison didn’t need to be told twice and he did as he was told._

_Gabriel never got to hear why, but apparently Morrison wasn’t as easy to deal with down in the infirmary._

Reaper slipped off one of his gloves, the talons clinking together noisily. His hands were dark, grey and brown with light colored scars over the fingers and knuckles. He hadn’t gotten a good look at himself in a few years, but he figured it wasn’t important; he had better things to do with his time than be vain.

_I hate Morrison._ He growled mentally. _I want him to die. I want them all to die._ He closed his eyes, brows furrowed behind a façade he had made for himself. _And I want to join them_.

It was a strange realization that he’d had; Gabriel wanted to be with his friends again, his family. But they were in Overwatch and he was cast aside again.

_That’s not fair. You cast yourself aside this time. You could still join them._ The voice was painfully familiar and he dismissed it completely.

The voice brought back another memory, one of a happier time where it was not Morrison and Commander Reyes, but Jack and Gabe, something Gabriel missed too much to ever say.

_It was an off day for the two of them, and they were taking full advantage of it. They were lazing about on Jack’s bed in pajama pants and reading close to one another, but not cuddling._

_“Hey Gabe? This is gonna sound weird, but what’s your favorite flower?” Jack smiled at him. He’d filled out nicely, a strong man and no longer a string bean teenager, the disappearing acne was also a nice touch._

_“Flower?” Gabe laughed a bit. “You gonna ask me out on a date, Morrison?” The jab held no heat. “I like Marigolds. They remind me of the sun and the blue skies of LA.” He wouldn’t say what else they reminded him of._

_“Marigolds… When you get your promotion, I’ll definitely get you some.” The man grinned ear to ear. “Flowers have thousands of meanings, Gabe. Just gotta find the right combination for you.”_

_“Whatever you say Jack.”_

The promotion never came and neither did the marigolds. He hated that he was disappointed that he didn’t receive the flowers.

His hand fell to his side with a sigh. He often wondered how things got so bad, but deep down he knew. The pavement that his hand had been blocking had a trail of yellow flowers, obviously freshly placed.

His brows furrowed and his feet evaporated into black vapor, moving along the flower trail. It wasn’t a long trail, but it had many flowers leading him to one point and when he looked from the trail, his body became entirely solid and his heart skipped a beat.

Against the wall was a two tier alter, roughly four feet wide and covered in a white silk table cloth. Candles were lit in an assortment of colors, some even had initials carved into them. There were pictures of him and his friends and family, ones he’d actually liked back in the day, and there were potted plants, a jar of peanut butter and a few other pieces that he knew who put them there. Amongst everything, there were a few things that truly stuck out to him.

His old hat he’d worn when he was Blackwatch commander, a present from the strike commander himself. He picked it up and felt the fabric between his finger and couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his scarred lips. It was cleaned by hand, just like he always used to do. He pocketed the item and looked to the larger gift left for him.

A vase with red and orange roses, accented with baby’s breath. There was a black silk ribbon tied to the glass tenderly which secured a note. Gabriel greedily plucked up the paper with his claw-free hand.

‘ _Gabriel,_

_Orange Roses_

_Red Roses_

_And Baby’s breath._

_Romantic love, sexual love and long-lasting love._

_I never lied about that.’_

Gabriel pocketed the note, ignoring the feelings that threatened to overcome him.

It wasn’t until he looked at the entirety of the alter once more did he start crying.

‘ _We all miss you, Gabriel’_

And for the first time in years, Gabriel could feel love from every inch of his heart.

_They never forgot._


End file.
